Mark O'Brien (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian actor and director best known for his roles as Des Courtney in Republic of Doyle (2010–2014) and Tom Rendon in Halt and Catch Fire (2015–2016). He won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards for his performance as Terry Sawchuk in the biographical drama film Goalie (2019).Debra Yeo, "Quebec film 'Antigone' wins Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture". Toronto Star, May 28, 2020.
At the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022, he received two nominations for his film The Righteous, for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Original Screenplay.Brent Furdyk, "2022 Canadian Screen Award Nominees Announced, 'Sort Of' & 'Scarborough' Lead The Pack". ET Canada, February 15, 2022. The film, which he wrote and directed himself, also won Best Screenplay at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal and Manchester's Grimmfest, as well as Best Cinematography at Grimmfest and the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival.
Personal life He is an English major with a Bachelor of Arts from Memorial University of Newfoundland. His mother was a nurse and his father a truck driver. O'Brien also has three older sisters.
O'Brien married actress Georgina Reilly on January 6, 2013, after having met on the set of Republic of Doyle in 2011. He is friends with fellow Newfoundlander Jonny Harris, who was also guest at his wedding. In November 2017, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter.
Filmography Film Year Title RoleNotes2009 Quiet at Dawn Watts Grown Up Movie Star Will 2012 Beat Down Michael 2015 End of Days, Inc. Jason Len and Company Zach How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town Bruce Buck 2016 Arrival Captain Marks2018 Parallel Josh State Like Sleep Darren Anon Cyrus Frear How It Ends Jeremiah The Darkest Minds Rob Meadows Kin Jake Stanton The Front Runner Billy Shore Bad Times at the El Royale Larsen Rogers 2019 Goalie Terry Sawchuk Ready or Not Alex Le Domas Marriage Story Carter Hammer Chris Davis2021 The Righteous Aaron Smith Also director Blue Bayou Ace 2023 Seven Veils Paul 2025 Nuremberg John Amen 2026 The Voices of Our Mother William Also director The Outer Threat Daniel
Television Year Title RoleNotes 2004–2007 Kids' CBC Himself 2005–2006 Legends and Lore of the North Atlantic 2006 Above and Beyond Drake 2 episodes 2008 The One That Got Away Tommy Palchek TV movie 2010–2014 Republic of Doyle Des Courtney 77 episodes 2011 Warehouse 13 Jerry Hoffler Episode: "Don't Hate the Player"2012 Diary of a Deadly P.I. Des Courtney 12 episodes Murdoch Mysteries Jerome Bradley Episode: "Murdoch Night in Canada" 2013 This Hour Has 22 Minutes Des Courtney 2014 Hannibal Randall Tier 2 episodes Saving Hope Marshall Parker Episode: "Awakenings" 2015–2017 Halt and Catch Fire Tom Rendon 15 episodes 2016–2017 The Last Tycoon Max Miner 9 episodes 2019–2021 City on a Hill Jimmy Ryan 14 episodes 2022–2023 61st Street Officer Johnny Logan Main role2023 Your Honor Father Jay 3 episodes Perry Mason Thomas Milligan Recurring role 2025 The Copenhagen Test Cobb Main cast Trinity Brian York Recurring role
Director, producer and writer Title Year Credited as Notes Director WriterProducerActor OtherDownward Calling2005rowspan=3 Short filmEditorLying Awake2006Short filmCinematographer, composer and editorPretty Girls2008Short filmEditor and cinematographerBrad2010Short filmEditorKathy2011rowspan=3 Better People2012Sweetieface2013Dennis2015Who Is Hanna?rowspan=3 Short filmWandererThreshold2018Goalie2019 The Righteous2021
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